Epiphthora melanombra facts for kids

Epiphthora melanombra is a small moth found in New Zealand. It belongs to a group of moths called Gelechiidae. This moth was first described by a scientist named Edward Meyrick in 1888.

Meet the Epiphthora melanombra Moth

The Epiphthora melanombra is a tiny moth. It is part of the large Lepidoptera order, which includes all moths and butterflies. This particular moth is native to the beautiful islands of New Zealand.

What Does It Look Like?

This moth is quite small. Its wingspan is usually between 10 and 11 millimeters. That's about the length of your fingernail!

The front wings, called forewings, look mostly grey. They are actually whitish but have many tiny black speckles, which makes them appear darker. You might notice a faint blackish spot in the middle of the wing. There's another spot near the bottom corner and a third, even fainter, one closer to the tip. The back wings, called hindwings, are a simple grey color.

Life Cycle and Food

Like all moths, the Epiphthora melanombra goes through different life stages. It starts as an egg, then hatches into a larva (a caterpillar), then becomes a pupa, and finally an adult moth.

The larvae of this moth are very interesting. They are leaf miners. This means they live inside the leaves of plants and eat the plant tissue from the inside. As they eat, they create blotchy tunnels or "mines" within the leaf.

The specific plant these larvae like to eat is called Olearia avicenniaefolia. This plant is a type of tree or shrub found in New Zealand. So, the larvae spend their time munching away safely inside the leaves of this plant.